University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Game 8 Preview: The Georgia State Game
11/5/2015 6:57:00 PM | Football
Cajuns, Panthers to face off in ESPN3 matinee
LAFAYETTE - After a come-from-behind victory over in-state rival ULM on Saturday, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 7, when it travels to Atlanta to face league rival Georgia State in a 1 p.m. CT contest at the Georgia Dome.
The game will be televised on ESPN3 with Matt Stewart (pxp), John Gregory (color) and Danielle Jenkins (sideline) providing the commentary. The game will be aired statewide on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network with Jay Walker (pxp), Richie Falgout (color) and Travis Webb (sideline) providing the commentary.
Louisiana (3-4, 2-1 SBC) rallied from a 24-9 deficit at halftime to earn a 30-24 win over the Warhawks in soggy conditions at Cajun Field. The Cajuns defense limited the Warhawks to five first downs and 106 yards of offense in the decisive second stanza. Dominique Tovell led the charge finishing with 12 tackles (10 solo) and two of the team's five sacks.
Jamal Robinson finished with a team-high 92 yards receiving, including a 64-yard touchdown pass from Brooks Haack with 3:10 remaining to help erase a 24-22 deficit. The junior, who came into the game with 2,074 receiving yards in his career, passed Wayde Butler (2,076) and Javone Lawson (2,107) into fifth-place on the school's all-time list. He trails former Ragin' Cajuns standout and current San Diego Chargers tight end Ladarius Green (2,201) by 35 yards for fourth place.
The Ragin' Cajuns hold a 2-0 advantage in the series against Georgia State (2-5, 1-2 SBC). Louisiana claimed a 35-21 victory in the first meeting between the schools in Atlanta as then-freshman Elijah McGuire became the first player in school history to record 100 yards both rushing (11-107) and receiving (3-125).
In last year's meeting at Cajun Field, Robinson caught a 21-yard scoring pass from Terrance Broadway with 3:34 remaining to help Louisiana earn a 34-31 victory over the Panthers.
Game No. 8
November 7, 2015 • 1:05 p.m. CT • Atlanta, Ga. • Georgia Dome (28,155)
-/- LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS (3-4, 2-1 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Mark Hudspeth (Delta State, 1992)
Record at Louisiana: 39-20 (5th season), Career Record: 105-41 (12th year)
-/- GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS (2-5, 1-2 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Trent Miles (Indiana State, 1987)
Record at GSU: 3-28 (3rd season), Career Record: 23-64 (8th season)
* - Rankings listed at Amway Coaches' Poll/AP Poll
Series History: Louisiana leads all-time series, 2-0 ... Ragin' Cajuns claimed a 35-21 victory in first-ever meeting between the schools (2013) at the Georgia Dome ... Louisiana rallied for a 34-31 victory in 2014 game in Lafayette.
TV/RADIO INFORMATION
ESPN3: Matt Stewart, PxP • John Gregory, Analyst • Danielle Jenkins, Sideline
Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network: Jay Walker, PxP • Richie Falgout, Analyst • Travis Webb, Sideline
In Lafayette: KPEL 1420-AM (Flagship); KHXT 107.9-FM
Affiliates: KTUX 98.9-FM (Shreveport); WGSO 990-AM (New Orleans); KJEF 1290-AM (Jennings); KLCL 1470-AM (Lake Charles); KRJO 1680-AM (Monroe); KTIB 640-AM (Thibodaux)
Live Stats/Audio: RaginCajuns.com
Twitter Updates: @ULRaginCajuns; Facebook: RaginCajunsAthletics;
YouTube: IAm4RaginCajuns; Instagram: ULRaginCajuns
GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Louisiana is 520-533-34 against all opponents dating back to 1901.
• The Ragin' Cajuns are 21-6 in games in November/December under Mark Hudspeth, including 9-3 in the past two seasons.
• Elijah McGuire is ninth among active NCAA players in all-purpose yards (4,138), eighth in all-purpose yards per game (125.39), and 15th in rushing yards (2,803).
• McGuire is eight catches shy of becoming the first Ragin' Cajuns running back with 100 receptions.
• Steven Coutts is 20th nationally (third among freshmen) in punting, averaging 44.4 yards per attempt.
DID YOU KNEAUX?
1 - Senior Dominique Tovell has started 39 games in his career for the Ragin' Cajuns, including 33 straight.
2 - Senior Octravian Anderson has started 33 consecutive games at right tackle.
3 - Louisiana is 30-2 overall when leading at halftime under Mark Hudspeth.
4 - Elijah McGuire is 41 yards shy of passing Michael Desormeaux for fourth-place on the all-time rushing list and 197 yards shy of reaching the 3,000-yard rushing mark in his career. McGuire is eight catches shy of becoming the first running back in school history to record 100 receptions in a career.
5 - Chaiziere Malbrue's blocked punt was the first by a Ragin' Cajun since Bradley Brown at Florida in 2012.
WHAT'S ON TAP
• Louisiana will remain on the road as it will travel to Mobile, Ala., to face South Alabama on Thursday, Nov. 12, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.
The Last Meeting
Louisiana 34, Georgia State 31
October 4, 2014 — Lafayette, La.
LAFAYETTE – Terrance Broadway went 20-for-26 for 216 yards and two touchdowns while Jamal Robinson caught eight passes for 119 yards and two scores in Louisiana's 34-31 Sun Belt-opening win over Georgia State.
Louisiana (2-3, 1-0 SBC) totaled 461 yards of offense compared to Georgia State's 425, and outgained the Panthers on the ground, 195-138.
Elijah McGuire led the Cajuns with 90 rushing yards on six attempts. For Georgia State, Nick Arbuckle went 19-for-27 with 276 yards. Donovan Harden led the Panthers with 91 receiving yards on four catches, while Marcus Caffey totaled 90 yards on the ground on 27 carries.
After forcing the Panthers (1-4, 0-2 SBC) to punt on their opening drive, McGuire capped off a 6-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with a 54-yard run around the right side to give Louisiana a 7-0 lead with 8:57 left in the first quarter.
Georgia State answered on the next possession after converting a fake punt. Duvall Smith evened the contest at 7-7 with a one-yard touchdown run, concluding a 16-play, 91-yard drive that took 6:38 off the clock.
Late in the first half, the Panthers drove 96 yards capped off by 12-yard touchdown run by Caffey for a 14-7 lead at 5:08 of the second quarter. The Cajuns knotted the game at 14-all with 1:13 to go in the half as Robinson pulled down a 19-yard pass from Broadway.
In the final seconds of the half, Wil Lutz connected on a 48-yard field goal to put the Panthers up 17-14.
The teams swapped scores throughout the second half. Georgia State pulled ahead 31-28 at 6:35 of the fourth quarter before Louisiana registered the decisive tally.
Brooks Haack found Larry Pettis for an 18-yard gain before completing another large gain, this one to Al Riles, for 22 yards to place the ball on the Georgia State 21. One play later, Broadway found Robinson in the end zone to put the Cajuns ahead for good.
NOTES FROM THE ULM GAME
• Captains were Brooks Haack (QB), Torrey Pierce (RB), Trey Granier (LB) and Dominique Tovell (LB).
• The Ragin' Cajuns did not have one scoring drive of over 70 yards in the game. Louisiana's scoring drives covered 3, 51, 34, 65, 31 and 64 yards.
• Elijah McGuire's 37-yard punt return in the fourth quarter was the longest of his career and the longest by a Ragin' Cajun this season.
• Haack's 64-yard throw to Robinson was his first TD pass of the season and the longest pass by a Ragin' Cajun quarterback in 2015.
• Three of the top four starting field positions for the 2015 season came in the ULM game leading to 10 points. Louisiana started drives on the ULM 26 (result - FG), 27 (missed FG) and 31-yard line (result - TD).
• Stevie Artigue's field goals of 40 and 41 yards in the first half were season-longs. His three field goals were the most by a Ragin' Cajun since Hunter Stover in the 2014 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
NIXON SECOND MEMBER TO JOIN 200-200 CLUB
• Junior Jalen Nixon became the second quarterback in school history to record both 200 yards rushing and passing in a single game in the Ragin' Cajuns Oct. 20 at Arkansas State. Nixon completed 17 of 44 passes for a career-high 253 yards and two TDs while rushing for 201 yards on 19 carries.
• The Carencro native joined Brian Mitchell, who rushed for 271 yards and passed for 205 yards against Colorado State in 1987, as the lone players in Ragin' Cajuns to record 200 yards rushing and passing in the same game.
• Nixon's 201 yards on the ground were the ninth-most in school history and fourth all-time among Ragin' Cajuns quarterbacks.
QUAVE SIDELINED FOR THE SEASON; CHANGES MADE ON THE O-LINE
• The most consistent area for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team during the past three seasons saw its first mid-season change after senior left guard Mykhael Quave was lost for the season with a torn rotator cuff.
• Quave, a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and two-time Lombardi Award nominee, injured his rotator cuff early in the first quarter in Louisiana's Oct. 3 game at Louisiana Tech.
• The loss of Quave, who started all 43 games in his Ragin' Cajuns career, saw the first mid-season change within the offensive line since 2012. Grant Horst, who started four games at left tackle for the Ragin' Cajuns moved to center for the Texas State game before moving to left guard for Arkansas State. Eddie Gordon, the team's starting center for the first four games, moved to left guard for Texas State before moving back to center against A-State. D'Aquin Withrow has started the last three games for the Ragin' Cajuns at left tackle.
• Octravian Anderson, a two-year starter, has started the last 33 games for Louisiana with Donovan Williams, who moved over to right guard replacing 52-game starter Daniel Quave, starting in 20 straight games after playing every game last season at left guard.
THE BOOK OF ELI
• Junior running back Elijah McGuire entered the 2015 season as one of the most decorated players to wear a Ragin' Cajuns uniform and after six games, has continued his assault on the record book.
• In his third season in a Ragin' Cajuns uniform, McGuire has rushed for 2,803 yards, ranking fifth on the school's all-time list. McGuire became the fourth player in school history (joining Tyrell Fenroy and former quarterbacks Brian Mitchell and Michael Desormeaux) to rush for over 1,000 yard in a season when he gained 1,264 yards in 2014.
• McGuire, the 2015 Preseason Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year, was the 2013 SBC Freshman of the Year and the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year.
• This season, McGuire is a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award, the Paul Hornung Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year.
MR. ALL-PURPOSE
In the Ragin' Cajuns Oct. 20 game at Arkansas State, Elijah McGuire became the third player in school history to record 4,000 all-purpose yards in his career. Below are the top three players in all-purpose yards in Ragin' Cajuns history.
1. Tyrell Fenroy (2005-08) - 5,231
2. Darryl Surgent (2010-13) - 4,945
3. Elijah McGuire (2013-) - 4,138
MCGUIRE JOINS THE 2,000-1,000 CLUB
With a 21-yard reception in the second quarter against Arkansas State on Oct. 20, Elijah McGuire became the fourth active player in NCAA history to record 2,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. McGuire caught a career-high tying 10 passes against the Red Wolves while recording a career-best 134 yards receiving. McGuire, who is officially the top running back in the group, is joined in the active leaders D.J. Foster (now a WR) of Arizona State, Josh Ferguson of Illinois and Storm Woods of Oregon State.
Elijah McGuire, Louisiana – 2,803 rush / 1,127 rec
Storm Woods, Oregon State – 2,556 rush / 1,079 rec
D.J. Foster, Arizona State – 2,294 rush / 2,239 rec
Josh Ferguson, Illinois – 2,259 rush / 1,305 rec
SLOW STARTS, FAST FINISHES
• The Ragin' Cajuns have usually set the tone early in ball games, but the 2015 season has been the opposite as they have been outscored, 149-85, in the first half in seven games this season.
• Opponents are outscoring Louisiana, 62-31, in the first quarter before extending their advantage to 87-54 in the second.
• Louisiana has set the tone in the second half, outscoring the competition, 126-74, in the final 30 minutes. The Ragin' Cajuns have scored their most points (63) in the third quarter while holding opponents to 27 points in the fourth for their top defensive effort.
CAJUNS HAVE ENJOYED BOWLING IN PAST FOUR SEASONS
• Louisiana is one of five schools nationally to have won a bowl/postseason game in each of the past four seasons.
• The Cajuns, with four victories in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, are part of a list that includes Michigan State (Outback, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rose, Cotton), Oregon (Rose, Fiesta, Alamo, Rose), South Carolina (Capitol One, Outback, Capitol One, Independence) and Texas A&M (Meinke Car Care, Cotton, Chick-Fil-A, Music City).
• With a 16-3 win over Nevada in the 2014 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Louisiana became the first school in NCAA history to win the same bowl game four consecutive years.
"NEW KICKS" IMPRESSIVE IN RAGIN' CAJUNS DEBUT
• After losing both Hunter Stover and Daniel Cadona to graduation, the Ragin' Cajuns introduced a new kicking combo of true freshmen Stevie Artigue and Steven Coutts.
• Artigue, a four-time all-district and three-time Class 5A All-State selection at nearby Lafayette High School, has converted on 22 of 23 extra point attempts for the Ragin' Cajuns while going 5-for-8 in field goals.
• Coutts, the second Australian to sign with the Ragin' Cajuns in the past three years after following in the footsteps of Cadona, is 20th nationally and third among freshman punters, averaging 44.4 per attempt.
TOVELL, MALBRUE EARN LSWA HONORS
• After each playing a key role in the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team's come-from-behind 30-24 win over ULM, linebackers Dominique Tovell and Chaiziere Malbrue earned Player of the Week honors on Monday by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
• Tovell was named the LSWA Defensive Player of the Week after posting a career-high 12 tackles, with two sacks, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Tovell recovered a fumble on the game's first play from scrimmage, which led to a Stevie Artigue field goal, and later forced a fumble on the Warhawks' first drive of the second quarter.
• Malbrue was named the LSWA Special Teams Player of the Week as his blocked punt would lead to a 14-point fourth quarter for the Ragin' Cajuns. The former Westminster Academy product split two defenders and blocked a Chris Qualls punt that was recovered by Montrel Carter at the ULM 16. Malbrue's block – the first since Bradley Brown at Florida in 2012 – would eventually lead to Brooks Haack's 13-yard TD run and cut the lead to 24-22 with 7:21 remaining.
MR. ROBINSON IS BACK IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD
• After being limited to four games last season due to knee and foot injuries, senior Jamal Robinson has made a successful return to the lineup, catching 20 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns.
• Against Texas State on Oct. 10, Robinson recorded his first touchdown in over a year when he grabbed a 17-yard pass from Jalen Nixon in the final minute of the first half. The duo hooked up again in the third period with a go-ahead 31-yard TD strike, marking the fifth multi-TD game of Robinson's career.
• His 64-yard TD reception in the fourth-quarter against ULM was the third-longest of his career, following grabs of 86 yards (vs. Lamar) and 81 (at ULM) in 2012.
• The 2014 Biletnikoff Watch List candidate caught 15 passes with four touchdowns in four games last season before being sidelined for the remainder of the season with a foot injury at Texas State.
• The 2015 Preseason Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference candidate ranks ninth in school history with 122 receptions and is fifth overall in receiving yards (2,166). With 36 yards receiving, Robinson would pass current San Diego Chargers tight end Ladarius Green (2,201 yards from 2008-11) for fourth-place on the school's all-time list.
NEW FACILITIES FOR RAGIN' CAJUNS FOOTBALL
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team officially moved into its new 100,000-square foot Student-Athlete Performance Center on September 13-14. The new building, which is part of the University's $115 million Athletics Facilities Master Plan that was unveiled in March of 2013, will house new offices and locker rooms for the Ragin' Cajuns football team, as well as a state-of-the-art Athletic Training Room, new weight room, new equipment room and 150-seat auditorium that will benefit all Ragin' Cajuns student-athletes.
• Ground was broken on the project in August of 2014 and is part of Tier 1 projects that included the expansion of Cajun Field. Upgrades at Cajun Field, which were completed prior to the 2014 season included the addition of seats in the South End Zone, raising capacity to 41,426, plus a new concession stands and restrooms in the South End Zone facility.
• Also included in Tier 1 were upgrades to the Ragin' Cajuns Soccer/Track Facility, that includes new locker rooms and coaches' offices for both the soccer and track and field programs, a new pressbox, restrooms, a concession stand and retail area.
RAGIN' CAJUNS REPEAT AS SUN BELT ACADEMIC CHAMPS
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team earned the best cumulative grade point average among Sun Belt Conference schools for the second consecutive year as the league announced its Team GPA Awards for the 2014-15 academic year.
• Louisiana posted a 2.81 team GPA during the 2014-15 academic year to lead all football schools competing in the Sun Belt.
• During the Fall 2014 semester, the Ragin' Cajuns recorded their highest GPA in team history (2.923) and posted its sixth consecutive semester of 2.6 or higher. Fifty-two percent of the student-athletes on the roster earned a 3.0 GPA or higher during the fall with six players earning a 4.0, and 11 receiving their degree during Fall Commencement ceremonies.
SUN BELT RECEIVES FIFTH POSSIBLE BOWL DESTINATION
• The Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission announced the creation of the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. The bowl game will debut on Dec. 29, 2015 and will match two teams from the Mountain West Conference, Conference USA and the Sun Belt Conference. The game will be played at the University of Arizona's Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
• The NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl is the first-ever bowl game to have a digitally-focused broadcast strategy to be orchestrated by primary digital media partner Campus Insiders. Details and technology partnerships along with the television broadcast partner will be announced at a later date.
• The Sun Belt Conference has grown from having just one primary bowl game from 2001 through 2010 to now having four primary postseason bowl game tie-ins. The Cure Bowl, which will debut in 2015, the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, the GoDaddy Bowl and the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl are the Sun Belt's primary bowl tie-ins. In addition the Sun Belt Conference is also part of a coalition that will send teams to the Miami Beach Bowl and the Bahamas Bowl on a rotating basis.
SUN BELT BOWL TIE-INS
• Louisiana and the Sun Belt Conference will have the possibility of five bowl tie-ins for the 2015 season:
College Football Playoff
Opportunity to select Sun Belt Champion for one of six bowls or CFP semifinals
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
First Selection (vs. C-USA)
New Orleans, La. - Dec. 19 - 8 p.m. (ESPN)
GoDaddy Bowl
Second Selection (vs. MAC)
Mobile, Ala. - Dec. 23 - 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Third Selection (vs. MAC)
Montgomery, Ala. - Dec. 19 - 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
AutoNation Cure Bowl
Fourth Selection (vs. American)
Orlando, Fla. - Dec. 19 - 6 p.m. (CBSSN)
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Possible Fifth (vs. MWC or C-USA)
Tucson, Ariz, - Dec. 29 - 6:30 p.m. (TBA)
The game will be televised on ESPN3 with Matt Stewart (pxp), John Gregory (color) and Danielle Jenkins (sideline) providing the commentary. The game will be aired statewide on the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network with Jay Walker (pxp), Richie Falgout (color) and Travis Webb (sideline) providing the commentary.
Louisiana (3-4, 2-1 SBC) rallied from a 24-9 deficit at halftime to earn a 30-24 win over the Warhawks in soggy conditions at Cajun Field. The Cajuns defense limited the Warhawks to five first downs and 106 yards of offense in the decisive second stanza. Dominique Tovell led the charge finishing with 12 tackles (10 solo) and two of the team's five sacks.
Jamal Robinson finished with a team-high 92 yards receiving, including a 64-yard touchdown pass from Brooks Haack with 3:10 remaining to help erase a 24-22 deficit. The junior, who came into the game with 2,074 receiving yards in his career, passed Wayde Butler (2,076) and Javone Lawson (2,107) into fifth-place on the school's all-time list. He trails former Ragin' Cajuns standout and current San Diego Chargers tight end Ladarius Green (2,201) by 35 yards for fourth place.
The Ragin' Cajuns hold a 2-0 advantage in the series against Georgia State (2-5, 1-2 SBC). Louisiana claimed a 35-21 victory in the first meeting between the schools in Atlanta as then-freshman Elijah McGuire became the first player in school history to record 100 yards both rushing (11-107) and receiving (3-125).
In last year's meeting at Cajun Field, Robinson caught a 21-yard scoring pass from Terrance Broadway with 3:34 remaining to help Louisiana earn a 34-31 victory over the Panthers.
Game No. 8
November 7, 2015 • 1:05 p.m. CT • Atlanta, Ga. • Georgia Dome (28,155)
-/- LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS (3-4, 2-1 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Mark Hudspeth (Delta State, 1992)
Record at Louisiana: 39-20 (5th season), Career Record: 105-41 (12th year)
-/- GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS (2-5, 1-2 Sun Belt)
Head Coach: Trent Miles (Indiana State, 1987)
Record at GSU: 3-28 (3rd season), Career Record: 23-64 (8th season)
* - Rankings listed at Amway Coaches' Poll/AP Poll
Series History: Louisiana leads all-time series, 2-0 ... Ragin' Cajuns claimed a 35-21 victory in first-ever meeting between the schools (2013) at the Georgia Dome ... Louisiana rallied for a 34-31 victory in 2014 game in Lafayette.
TV/RADIO INFORMATION
ESPN3: Matt Stewart, PxP • John Gregory, Analyst • Danielle Jenkins, Sideline
Ragin' Cajuns Radio Network: Jay Walker, PxP • Richie Falgout, Analyst • Travis Webb, Sideline
In Lafayette: KPEL 1420-AM (Flagship); KHXT 107.9-FM
Affiliates: KTUX 98.9-FM (Shreveport); WGSO 990-AM (New Orleans); KJEF 1290-AM (Jennings); KLCL 1470-AM (Lake Charles); KRJO 1680-AM (Monroe); KTIB 640-AM (Thibodaux)
Live Stats/Audio: RaginCajuns.com
Twitter Updates: @ULRaginCajuns; Facebook: RaginCajunsAthletics;
YouTube: IAm4RaginCajuns; Instagram: ULRaginCajuns
GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Louisiana is 520-533-34 against all opponents dating back to 1901.
• The Ragin' Cajuns are 21-6 in games in November/December under Mark Hudspeth, including 9-3 in the past two seasons.
• Elijah McGuire is ninth among active NCAA players in all-purpose yards (4,138), eighth in all-purpose yards per game (125.39), and 15th in rushing yards (2,803).
• McGuire is eight catches shy of becoming the first Ragin' Cajuns running back with 100 receptions.
• Steven Coutts is 20th nationally (third among freshmen) in punting, averaging 44.4 yards per attempt.
DID YOU KNEAUX?
1 - Senior Dominique Tovell has started 39 games in his career for the Ragin' Cajuns, including 33 straight.
2 - Senior Octravian Anderson has started 33 consecutive games at right tackle.
3 - Louisiana is 30-2 overall when leading at halftime under Mark Hudspeth.
4 - Elijah McGuire is 41 yards shy of passing Michael Desormeaux for fourth-place on the all-time rushing list and 197 yards shy of reaching the 3,000-yard rushing mark in his career. McGuire is eight catches shy of becoming the first running back in school history to record 100 receptions in a career.
5 - Chaiziere Malbrue's blocked punt was the first by a Ragin' Cajun since Bradley Brown at Florida in 2012.
WHAT'S ON TAP
• Louisiana will remain on the road as it will travel to Mobile, Ala., to face South Alabama on Thursday, Nov. 12, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.
The Last Meeting
Louisiana 34, Georgia State 31
October 4, 2014 — Lafayette, La.
LAFAYETTE – Terrance Broadway went 20-for-26 for 216 yards and two touchdowns while Jamal Robinson caught eight passes for 119 yards and two scores in Louisiana's 34-31 Sun Belt-opening win over Georgia State.
Louisiana (2-3, 1-0 SBC) totaled 461 yards of offense compared to Georgia State's 425, and outgained the Panthers on the ground, 195-138.
Elijah McGuire led the Cajuns with 90 rushing yards on six attempts. For Georgia State, Nick Arbuckle went 19-for-27 with 276 yards. Donovan Harden led the Panthers with 91 receiving yards on four catches, while Marcus Caffey totaled 90 yards on the ground on 27 carries.
After forcing the Panthers (1-4, 0-2 SBC) to punt on their opening drive, McGuire capped off a 6-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with a 54-yard run around the right side to give Louisiana a 7-0 lead with 8:57 left in the first quarter.
Georgia State answered on the next possession after converting a fake punt. Duvall Smith evened the contest at 7-7 with a one-yard touchdown run, concluding a 16-play, 91-yard drive that took 6:38 off the clock.
Late in the first half, the Panthers drove 96 yards capped off by 12-yard touchdown run by Caffey for a 14-7 lead at 5:08 of the second quarter. The Cajuns knotted the game at 14-all with 1:13 to go in the half as Robinson pulled down a 19-yard pass from Broadway.
In the final seconds of the half, Wil Lutz connected on a 48-yard field goal to put the Panthers up 17-14.
The teams swapped scores throughout the second half. Georgia State pulled ahead 31-28 at 6:35 of the fourth quarter before Louisiana registered the decisive tally.
Brooks Haack found Larry Pettis for an 18-yard gain before completing another large gain, this one to Al Riles, for 22 yards to place the ball on the Georgia State 21. One play later, Broadway found Robinson in the end zone to put the Cajuns ahead for good.
NOTES FROM THE ULM GAME
• Captains were Brooks Haack (QB), Torrey Pierce (RB), Trey Granier (LB) and Dominique Tovell (LB).
• The Ragin' Cajuns did not have one scoring drive of over 70 yards in the game. Louisiana's scoring drives covered 3, 51, 34, 65, 31 and 64 yards.
• Elijah McGuire's 37-yard punt return in the fourth quarter was the longest of his career and the longest by a Ragin' Cajun this season.
• Haack's 64-yard throw to Robinson was his first TD pass of the season and the longest pass by a Ragin' Cajun quarterback in 2015.
• Three of the top four starting field positions for the 2015 season came in the ULM game leading to 10 points. Louisiana started drives on the ULM 26 (result - FG), 27 (missed FG) and 31-yard line (result - TD).
• Stevie Artigue's field goals of 40 and 41 yards in the first half were season-longs. His three field goals were the most by a Ragin' Cajun since Hunter Stover in the 2014 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
NIXON SECOND MEMBER TO JOIN 200-200 CLUB
• Junior Jalen Nixon became the second quarterback in school history to record both 200 yards rushing and passing in a single game in the Ragin' Cajuns Oct. 20 at Arkansas State. Nixon completed 17 of 44 passes for a career-high 253 yards and two TDs while rushing for 201 yards on 19 carries.
• The Carencro native joined Brian Mitchell, who rushed for 271 yards and passed for 205 yards against Colorado State in 1987, as the lone players in Ragin' Cajuns to record 200 yards rushing and passing in the same game.
• Nixon's 201 yards on the ground were the ninth-most in school history and fourth all-time among Ragin' Cajuns quarterbacks.
QUAVE SIDELINED FOR THE SEASON; CHANGES MADE ON THE O-LINE
• The most consistent area for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team during the past three seasons saw its first mid-season change after senior left guard Mykhael Quave was lost for the season with a torn rotator cuff.
• Quave, a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and two-time Lombardi Award nominee, injured his rotator cuff early in the first quarter in Louisiana's Oct. 3 game at Louisiana Tech.
• The loss of Quave, who started all 43 games in his Ragin' Cajuns career, saw the first mid-season change within the offensive line since 2012. Grant Horst, who started four games at left tackle for the Ragin' Cajuns moved to center for the Texas State game before moving to left guard for Arkansas State. Eddie Gordon, the team's starting center for the first four games, moved to left guard for Texas State before moving back to center against A-State. D'Aquin Withrow has started the last three games for the Ragin' Cajuns at left tackle.
• Octravian Anderson, a two-year starter, has started the last 33 games for Louisiana with Donovan Williams, who moved over to right guard replacing 52-game starter Daniel Quave, starting in 20 straight games after playing every game last season at left guard.
THE BOOK OF ELI
• Junior running back Elijah McGuire entered the 2015 season as one of the most decorated players to wear a Ragin' Cajuns uniform and after six games, has continued his assault on the record book.
• In his third season in a Ragin' Cajuns uniform, McGuire has rushed for 2,803 yards, ranking fifth on the school's all-time list. McGuire became the fourth player in school history (joining Tyrell Fenroy and former quarterbacks Brian Mitchell and Michael Desormeaux) to rush for over 1,000 yard in a season when he gained 1,264 yards in 2014.
• McGuire, the 2015 Preseason Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year, was the 2013 SBC Freshman of the Year and the 2014 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year.
• This season, McGuire is a candidate for the Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award, the Paul Hornung Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year.
MR. ALL-PURPOSE
In the Ragin' Cajuns Oct. 20 game at Arkansas State, Elijah McGuire became the third player in school history to record 4,000 all-purpose yards in his career. Below are the top three players in all-purpose yards in Ragin' Cajuns history.
1. Tyrell Fenroy (2005-08) - 5,231
2. Darryl Surgent (2010-13) - 4,945
3. Elijah McGuire (2013-) - 4,138
MCGUIRE JOINS THE 2,000-1,000 CLUB
With a 21-yard reception in the second quarter against Arkansas State on Oct. 20, Elijah McGuire became the fourth active player in NCAA history to record 2,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. McGuire caught a career-high tying 10 passes against the Red Wolves while recording a career-best 134 yards receiving. McGuire, who is officially the top running back in the group, is joined in the active leaders D.J. Foster (now a WR) of Arizona State, Josh Ferguson of Illinois and Storm Woods of Oregon State.
Elijah McGuire, Louisiana – 2,803 rush / 1,127 rec
Storm Woods, Oregon State – 2,556 rush / 1,079 rec
D.J. Foster, Arizona State – 2,294 rush / 2,239 rec
Josh Ferguson, Illinois – 2,259 rush / 1,305 rec
SLOW STARTS, FAST FINISHES
• The Ragin' Cajuns have usually set the tone early in ball games, but the 2015 season has been the opposite as they have been outscored, 149-85, in the first half in seven games this season.
• Opponents are outscoring Louisiana, 62-31, in the first quarter before extending their advantage to 87-54 in the second.
• Louisiana has set the tone in the second half, outscoring the competition, 126-74, in the final 30 minutes. The Ragin' Cajuns have scored their most points (63) in the third quarter while holding opponents to 27 points in the fourth for their top defensive effort.
CAJUNS HAVE ENJOYED BOWLING IN PAST FOUR SEASONS
• Louisiana is one of five schools nationally to have won a bowl/postseason game in each of the past four seasons.
• The Cajuns, with four victories in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, are part of a list that includes Michigan State (Outback, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rose, Cotton), Oregon (Rose, Fiesta, Alamo, Rose), South Carolina (Capitol One, Outback, Capitol One, Independence) and Texas A&M (Meinke Car Care, Cotton, Chick-Fil-A, Music City).
• With a 16-3 win over Nevada in the 2014 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Louisiana became the first school in NCAA history to win the same bowl game four consecutive years.
"NEW KICKS" IMPRESSIVE IN RAGIN' CAJUNS DEBUT
• After losing both Hunter Stover and Daniel Cadona to graduation, the Ragin' Cajuns introduced a new kicking combo of true freshmen Stevie Artigue and Steven Coutts.
• Artigue, a four-time all-district and three-time Class 5A All-State selection at nearby Lafayette High School, has converted on 22 of 23 extra point attempts for the Ragin' Cajuns while going 5-for-8 in field goals.
• Coutts, the second Australian to sign with the Ragin' Cajuns in the past three years after following in the footsteps of Cadona, is 20th nationally and third among freshman punters, averaging 44.4 per attempt.
TOVELL, MALBRUE EARN LSWA HONORS
• After each playing a key role in the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team's come-from-behind 30-24 win over ULM, linebackers Dominique Tovell and Chaiziere Malbrue earned Player of the Week honors on Monday by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
• Tovell was named the LSWA Defensive Player of the Week after posting a career-high 12 tackles, with two sacks, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Tovell recovered a fumble on the game's first play from scrimmage, which led to a Stevie Artigue field goal, and later forced a fumble on the Warhawks' first drive of the second quarter.
• Malbrue was named the LSWA Special Teams Player of the Week as his blocked punt would lead to a 14-point fourth quarter for the Ragin' Cajuns. The former Westminster Academy product split two defenders and blocked a Chris Qualls punt that was recovered by Montrel Carter at the ULM 16. Malbrue's block – the first since Bradley Brown at Florida in 2012 – would eventually lead to Brooks Haack's 13-yard TD run and cut the lead to 24-22 with 7:21 remaining.
MR. ROBINSON IS BACK IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD
• After being limited to four games last season due to knee and foot injuries, senior Jamal Robinson has made a successful return to the lineup, catching 20 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns.
• Against Texas State on Oct. 10, Robinson recorded his first touchdown in over a year when he grabbed a 17-yard pass from Jalen Nixon in the final minute of the first half. The duo hooked up again in the third period with a go-ahead 31-yard TD strike, marking the fifth multi-TD game of Robinson's career.
• His 64-yard TD reception in the fourth-quarter against ULM was the third-longest of his career, following grabs of 86 yards (vs. Lamar) and 81 (at ULM) in 2012.
• The 2014 Biletnikoff Watch List candidate caught 15 passes with four touchdowns in four games last season before being sidelined for the remainder of the season with a foot injury at Texas State.
• The 2015 Preseason Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference candidate ranks ninth in school history with 122 receptions and is fifth overall in receiving yards (2,166). With 36 yards receiving, Robinson would pass current San Diego Chargers tight end Ladarius Green (2,201 yards from 2008-11) for fourth-place on the school's all-time list.
NEW FACILITIES FOR RAGIN' CAJUNS FOOTBALL
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team officially moved into its new 100,000-square foot Student-Athlete Performance Center on September 13-14. The new building, which is part of the University's $115 million Athletics Facilities Master Plan that was unveiled in March of 2013, will house new offices and locker rooms for the Ragin' Cajuns football team, as well as a state-of-the-art Athletic Training Room, new weight room, new equipment room and 150-seat auditorium that will benefit all Ragin' Cajuns student-athletes.
• Ground was broken on the project in August of 2014 and is part of Tier 1 projects that included the expansion of Cajun Field. Upgrades at Cajun Field, which were completed prior to the 2014 season included the addition of seats in the South End Zone, raising capacity to 41,426, plus a new concession stands and restrooms in the South End Zone facility.
• Also included in Tier 1 were upgrades to the Ragin' Cajuns Soccer/Track Facility, that includes new locker rooms and coaches' offices for both the soccer and track and field programs, a new pressbox, restrooms, a concession stand and retail area.
RAGIN' CAJUNS REPEAT AS SUN BELT ACADEMIC CHAMPS
• The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team earned the best cumulative grade point average among Sun Belt Conference schools for the second consecutive year as the league announced its Team GPA Awards for the 2014-15 academic year.
• Louisiana posted a 2.81 team GPA during the 2014-15 academic year to lead all football schools competing in the Sun Belt.
• During the Fall 2014 semester, the Ragin' Cajuns recorded their highest GPA in team history (2.923) and posted its sixth consecutive semester of 2.6 or higher. Fifty-two percent of the student-athletes on the roster earned a 3.0 GPA or higher during the fall with six players earning a 4.0, and 11 receiving their degree during Fall Commencement ceremonies.
SUN BELT RECEIVES FIFTH POSSIBLE BOWL DESTINATION
• The Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission announced the creation of the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. The bowl game will debut on Dec. 29, 2015 and will match two teams from the Mountain West Conference, Conference USA and the Sun Belt Conference. The game will be played at the University of Arizona's Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
• The NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl is the first-ever bowl game to have a digitally-focused broadcast strategy to be orchestrated by primary digital media partner Campus Insiders. Details and technology partnerships along with the television broadcast partner will be announced at a later date.
• The Sun Belt Conference has grown from having just one primary bowl game from 2001 through 2010 to now having four primary postseason bowl game tie-ins. The Cure Bowl, which will debut in 2015, the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, the GoDaddy Bowl and the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl are the Sun Belt's primary bowl tie-ins. In addition the Sun Belt Conference is also part of a coalition that will send teams to the Miami Beach Bowl and the Bahamas Bowl on a rotating basis.
SUN BELT BOWL TIE-INS
• Louisiana and the Sun Belt Conference will have the possibility of five bowl tie-ins for the 2015 season:
College Football Playoff
Opportunity to select Sun Belt Champion for one of six bowls or CFP semifinals
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
First Selection (vs. C-USA)
New Orleans, La. - Dec. 19 - 8 p.m. (ESPN)
GoDaddy Bowl
Second Selection (vs. MAC)
Mobile, Ala. - Dec. 23 - 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Third Selection (vs. MAC)
Montgomery, Ala. - Dec. 19 - 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)
AutoNation Cure Bowl
Fourth Selection (vs. American)
Orlando, Fla. - Dec. 19 - 6 p.m. (CBSSN)
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Possible Fifth (vs. MWC or C-USA)
Tucson, Ariz, - Dec. 29 - 6:30 p.m. (TBA)
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/ FootballMichael Desormeaux Media Availability (Dec 3, 2025)
Wednesday, December 03
Jaden Dugger Media Availability (Nov 29, 2025)
Sunday, November 30
Bill Davis Media Availability (Nov 29, 2025)
Sunday, November 30
Brent Gordon Jr. Media Availability (Nov 29, 2025)
Sunday, November 30
